*To make the lentils, in a large saucepan bring 6 cups water to a simmer. Add salt (like you’re salting pasta water), crushed garlic clove, wedge of a yellow onion, and a bay leaf to the simmering water. Add 2 cups dried lentils and cook for 25-30 minutes until tender and cooked through. Strain through a colander and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. This method will leave you with extra cooked lentils for salads of dinner.

To make the meatballs, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add lentils and mushrooms. Blend and pulse until relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. Mixture will be slightly dry and still a bit chunky. That’s right! Transfer to a large bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs until well combined. Whisk in the ricotta cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Add the wet ingredients to the lentil mixture and use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use a large tablespoon scoop to meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1-inch between each meatball. Drizzle literally with olive oil and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to rest while the rest of the ingredients come together.

To make the gravy, in a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and whisk immediately, allowing the butter to absorb the flour and whisking constantly for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken and then appear thin again once all of the vegetable stock is added. Add the soy sauce. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, thyme, and mushrooms. Simmer until thickened again, about 4 minutes more. Keep the gravy warm over very low heat.

To serve, just before serving, toss lentil balls in warm gravy. Place on a plate alongside mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Top the mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce as well. Enjoy warm.

Notes

I find that it’s easiest to make the potatoes and cranberry sauce before the lentil balls and the gravy.

Place a large dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add almonds. Stir constantly until they are tinged with color. Take from heat, and transfer to a bowl to cool.

Season both sides of the fish well with salt and pepper. Place the same pan over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil. When both begin to bubble, add cod fillets skin side up. Brown fish until opaque all the way through, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer fish to a warm serving plate, skin side down.

Reduce heat under pan to low, and add lemon juice. Stir to blend with butter and oil, then pour this sauce over fillets. Scatter parsley over cod, and scatter with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large baking dish, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Mix the Parmesan with the bread crumbs, melted butter and olive oil and sprinkle over the fillets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the topping is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

When the squash is finished cooking, add it to the food processor along with the brown sugar and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until it becomes smooth. Set aside to chill.

Rinse the bowl of the food processor.

To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, eggs, and olive oil, and pulse until the dough comes together into a large ball and swirls around the processor.

Removethe dough, wrap in plastic wrap, and rest it the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cut 2 ounces of pasta dough from the ball and roll out into large, wide, thin sheets of pasta.

Lay a sheet over an empty ice cube tray, and press the dough down gently into each of the holes.

Fill each hole with a tablespoon of the butternut squash filling. Place a second sheet on top of the ice cube tray. Press down on all the sides of the raviolis. Flip the ice cup tray over to release the pasta and cut off any excess dough.

Separate each ravioli with a knife or cutting tool.

Gently place a few raviolis into boiling salted water and cook until the raviolis float and firm up slightly, 2-3 minutes. Scoop out the ravioli and set aside briefly to cook a new batch or dump out the water and start the hazelnut brown butter sauce.

In a pan, add 3 tablespoons of the butter, sage leaves, and hazelnuts. Cook until the butter browns deeply, the nuts are heated through, and the sage is fried and crispy. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and season to taste.

Swirl in 2 more tablespoons more of chilled butter, to thicken the sauce. Add the cooked raviolis back in and toss gently to coat the pasta.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together broccoli, oil, cumin (if using), 3/4 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 18 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, panko, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the black pepper.

Toss cooked pasta with broccoli on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dollop with ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan mix, drizzle generously with oil, and broil until topping is crisped and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste, and serve.

Whisk the first set of ingredients together and voila, your sauce. Set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Gradually add the flour until incorporated. Fold in cabbage, scallions, and shrimp.

Warm a couple glugs of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes. I usually make them about the size of saucer. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest. Scatter sesame seeds and/or bonito flakes on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce and a cold pilsner.

Start boiling a pot of water for the noodles. They will only take a couple of minutes to cook.

In a large saute pan with a lid, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and cook on low heat just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Stir in two tablespoons of soy sauce.

Add the broccoli florets and pour the water over. Stir, cover and cook on medium heat just until the broccoli becomes crisp tender.

Cook the noodles in the boiling pot of water while you’re waiting on the broccoli Like I said, they will cook very quickly. Drain, saving a little of the cooking liquid.

Stir the noodles into the broccoli along with the last tablespoon of butter and the second tablespoon of soy sauce. Add a little of the noodle cooking liquid to loosen everything up and serve right away. Makes about 3 sides or two mains

Serve this with rice pilaf, a simple salad or my sautéed mushrooms, chickpeas and kale with pesto (link to the recipe in the post)

Ingredients

1 lb bluefish filets

1 bottle of red wine vinegar

In a deep dish, arrange the bluefish in and pour the vinegar over the fish. Let it marinate for 30 minutes (and no longer!).

Set the broiler to high and arrange a baking sheet with tin foil. Arrange the fish filets on the baking pan and broil on the second to top rack for 10 minutes, letting it caramelize. Watch carefully – the fish can easily burn.

After 10 minutes, set the oven to 350 and move the fish to the bottom rack, cooking for another 10 minutes.

The fish should be caramelized at this point and ready to eat. Serve immediately or store fish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.